Toy building construction



Nov. 19, 1929.

'A. c. GILBERT TOY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 16 i moo-04 o 0-0 01 7 Nov. 19, 1929. A. C..GILBERT TOY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed April 16, 1926 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 6 I. o c 3 Patented Nov. 19, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALFRED C. GILBERT, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE A. C. GILBERT COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A. COR- PORATION MARYLAND TOY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Application filed April 16, 1926. Serial No. 102,488.

This invention relates to construction toys. Such toys are commonly sold as toy sets each set containing a number of construction'elements of various kinds which may be as sembled to form a large number of different models, the models usually simulating various actual mechanical structures. The invention particularly relates to such of these toys wherein are employed one or more relatively large wheels, such as pulley wheels, fly wheels, and the like, and more particularly has to do with the provision of elements which may be readily and easily assembled to form a rigid wheel member of light weight. At the same time, the wheel may be easily disassembled and the parts thereof may be compactly stored so as to occupy a minimum amount of room in the container in which I they are sold.

One object of this invention, therefore, is

A still further object of the invention is P the provision of a novel form of connection between the wheel rim or folly and the elements serving as the wheel spokes.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a number of similar rim-elements, arcuate in shape, and having end flanges projecting radially inwardly from the outer surface of the rim member so that these flanges may be secured together to form a rigid circular wheel rim.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a number of flanged rim elements which may be economically made, and at the same time rigidly secured together to form a circular rim which will be of sturdy and somewhat massive appearance so as to i iliinulato the rim of a heavy fly wheel or the To these and other ends the invention coni 4 of oneof the rim elements;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank from which the rim element is made;

' Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of the wheel;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan view of the outer surface of one of the rim elements;

Fig. 8 is a similar view of the reverse side of one of the'rim elements;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged side elevational viewof a rim element of modified form.

In order to illustrate-a preferred embodiment of my invention, I have selected to show in Fig. 1 a model of a gas engine the frame of'which may be formed of a pair of side plates 10, only one of which is shown, which arejset up in parallel relation andsuitably secured together. 'At the front end of each of these plates is secured a smaller perforated late 11, and-at the rear end a similar plate 12. It will be understood that these elements are duplicatedupon the opposite side of the model, as shown in Fig. 1, in order to suitablysupport the parts of the device. The cylinder of the engine is simulated by the cylindrical element 13 from one endof which extends the piston rodlt, connected in any suitable manner which it is not necessary to illustrate for the purposes of the present invention, to the shaft 15 of the fly wheel 16. Theshaft is passed through perforations in the plates 11, so as to be rotatably supported by these plates.

The valve operating members are simulated by the link 17 and valve rod 18, connected by the link 19 to an eccentric 20, se-

cured to the gear 21, which is in turn con nectedjby appr pr gearing, n t shown,

t0 the shaft 15. The fly wheel 16 may be 0perated from the electric motor 22, positioned at the side of one of the plates 10.

The hub of the wheel 16 consists, as shown, of the two hub plates and 26, mounted in spaced relation upon the shaft 15, and secured frictionally in place by means of the collars 27 and 28, having set screws 29 ancl30 therein setagainstthe shaft 15.

The rim of the wheel is made up of a number of arcuately shaped elements 31, shown more particularly in Figs. 3 to 5. Each of these members is provided with a relatively broad rim or tread surface 32, having end flanges 33 and 34 provided with perforations 35 and 36. These end flanges extend inwardly from the rim surface in a substantially radial 'direction toward the wheel axis.

The members 33 are also provided with side flanges 37 .and38, which give the wheel an appearanceofsolidity and weight so .that it simulates alheavy fly wheel used in commercial mechanical structures. These arcuate members are secured together,as.shown more particularly in Fig. ,8, by means of screw bolts or the like 39, passed through the :perforations in the abutting end flanges 33 and 3-1 of the rim elements. It will be seen that as these flangesextend inwardly in asubstantial radial direction, when these flanges have been secured together these rimelements will be united into a rigid rim or hoop structure, which will maintain its shape without further supporting elements. Moreover, when viewed from the side, the :rim gives an appearance of having considerable thickness and weight.

The rim is secured to the hub plates 25 and 26 by means of the spokes 40. These spokes are as shown arranged in pairs, one of each pair being connected to one of the hub plates 25 and 2,6, and secured, as shown more especially in Fig. 6,against one of the legs 41 of a ti eshaped element or bracket 42. These brackets are secured to the rim elements 31 by means ofjbolts 43 passing through flanges 4d and 45 on the legs of :the brackets, and through perforations 46 provided in the rim elements substantially intermediate the ends thereof. Bolts 47 passing through perforations in the outer ends 0f the spokes 40 and through perforations in the legs 41 of the bracket 12 rigidly secure the. spokes to this bracket and the trim member.

The spoke members d0 comprise relatively long perforated straps or plates, and are longer than the vertical .distanoebetween the bracket members to which .theyare connected,

and their point or? connection with the hub plates 25 or 26. It is seen, therefore, that when these elements are connected to the bracketmembers 5L2 at one end, and connected to the hub plates at the'other, the latterconnecfion comprising bolts 4:9 passing through perforations arranged adj acent the periphery ,material to possess considerable resilience,

and this resilience will .tendto urge the hub plates toward each .otheras far as permitted by the length of the elements and their connections with the rim brackets and hub plates,

the elements themselves tending to occupy a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 2, due to the fact that they are clamped against the sides of the legs &1 of the brackets. In this manner, no spacing collars or blocks are necessary on the shaft 15, between the hub plates 25 and 26, and the collars 27 and 28, when pressed tightly against the hub plates and fixed uponthe shaft by the set screws 29 and30, will secure the hub plates and, there fore, the wheel non-rotatably upon the shaft 15. Ifdesired, the collars 27 :and 28 can, of course, be slightly spaced fromthe hub plates so asto permit the rotatable mounting of the wheel on the shaft.

It will be apparent that I have provided a wheel structure which may be built up or fabricated from a number of readily detachable elements and which, at the same time, will be strong and rigid and although light in weight will presentanappearance closely simulating, for .example a heavy fly wheel.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings I have shown a blank from which the rim elements of the wheel are made. When the blank is stamped out in the form shown, the two side and two end flanges maybe turned inwardly about the dotted lines 51 and'52ito provide'the inwardly and radially extending flanges. Additional perforations 46* may be provided in the body portion of this element adjacent the ends thereof so that the brackets 42 may be connected adjacent the'ends of these elements if desired, instead :of at the central portion thereof, as shown. a

In Fig. 9 of the drawings I have shown a rim element 31 of somewhat modified'form. This'element is substantially like the corre sponding part shown in Fig. 3, except that the side flanges 37 are provided with alternate perforations and slots 51. These perforations and slots are suitably spaced to conform to the s )acin of the erfora'tions and slots in the other elements of the toy set, suchlas the elongated members 40 and the plate 12, so that these side flanges may be connected to these elements in building certain of the models.

While I have-shown and described some preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is not to he limitec to all the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. A wheel rim element for a. construction toy having a body portion of arcuate shape in the direction of its length, and provided at either end of said arcuate portion with an inwardly and radially extending flange having perforations formed therein and means for detachably securing spokes to said rim elements.

2. A wheel rim element for a construction toy having a body portion designed to form the outer rim of the wheel, and of arcuate shape in its longitudinal dimension, and inwardly and radially extending flanges on the four sides of said element, each of said flanges having spaced holes therein.

3. A wheel rim element for a construction toy having a body portion designed to form the outer rim of the wheel, and of arcuate shape in its longitudinal dimension, and inwardly and radially extending flanges on the four sides of said element all of said flanges being of the same width, the flanges on the opposite ends of the element being provided with perforations therein closely adjacent the body portion whereby a number of such elements may be secured together to form a circular wheel.

4. A wheel structure for construction toys, comprising spaced hub elements, a rim, U shaped brackets arranged on the inner side of the rim, and spoke elements arranged in pairs, and each connected at one end to one of said hub elements and at the other secured flatwise against one of the legs of one of the U- shaped brackets.

5. A Wheel structure for construction toys, formed of detachable units, said structure comprising a pair of spaced hub elements, a rim,- U-shaped brackets detachably secured to the inner face of the rim, and spoke elements each detachably connected at one end to one of the hub elements and at the other end to the leg of one of the brackets.

6. A wheel structure for construction toys, formed of detachable units, said structure comprising a pair of spaced hub elements, a rim having perforations formed therein, brackets applied to the inner face of the rim and having perforations corresponding to those of the rim, fastening members passed through the perforations of the brackets and rim to secure said parts together, and spoke elements each connected at one end to one of the hub elements and at the other end to one of the brackets, said spoke elements comprising elongated resilient strap members'sprung outwardly to be secured to the hub elements tending to urge the spaced hub elements toward each other.

7. A wheel structure for construction toys, formed of detachable units, said structure comprising a pair of spaced hub elements,

a rim composed of a'plurality of similar elements of arcuate shape, detachably secured together, brackets'secured to the inner face of the rim, and spoke elements'each connected at one end to one of the hub elements and at the other end to one of the brackets, said hub elements being provided with centrally disposed perforations, a shaft passing therethrough and collars secured to the shaft adj acent the outer faces of the hub elements.

8. A-wheel structure for construction toys,

com risin s aaced hub elements a rim elongated strap members each secured to one of the hub'elements and at the other end to the rim to form spokes for the wheel, said elements being arranged in pairs diverging toward the center of the wheel, and said elements being resilient and tending by their resilience to assume a parallel position.

9. A wheel structure for construction toys, comprising a rim formed'of a plurality of elements of arcuate shape secured together inlend to end relation, and each of said'members having a body portion forming a flat outer rim surface for the wheel, a bracket secured at the inner side of each of said elements intermediate the ends thereof,"a plurality of elongated strap elements secured to said brackets in pairs to form spokes for the wheel and tending to occupy a parallel position, a pair of spaced hub members, the inner ends of said spoke elements being sprung outwardly to be connected with said hub elements adjacent the periphery thereof.

10. A wheel structure for construction toys, having a rim portion formed of a plurality of elements of arcuate shape secured together in end to end abutting relation to form a circular rim, U-shaped brackets secured at the inner side of said elements and having parallel leg portions extending toward the wheel axis, a pair of spaced hub elements arranged centrally of the wheel, and resilient strap members forming spokes for the wheel, said members being clamped at their outer ends against the legs of the bracket and having their inner ends sprung outwardly to cause the strap members to diverge toward the hub of the wheel and the inner ends being con-.

nected to the hub members adjacent the periphery thereof.

11. A wheel structure for construction toys, having a rim portion formed of a plurality of elements of arcuate shape secured together in end to end abutting relation to form a circular rim, U-shaped brackets secured at the inner side of said elements and having parallel leg portions extending toward the wheel axis, a pair of spaced hub elements arranged centrally of the wheel, and resilient strap members forming spokes for the wheel, said members being clamped at their outer ends against the legs of the brackets and having their inner ends sprung outwardly to cause the strap members to diverge (til toward the hub of the wheel and the inner:

ends being connected to the hub members adjacent the periphery thereof, said hub members having centrally arranged perforations,v a shaft passing through said perforations, and

collars secured to said shaft adjacent the, outer faces of the hub elements.

12. In a toy Wheel construction, a wheel rim composed of a plurality of elements of arouate shape, each having longitudinally dis posed side flanges, said elements being secured together to form an annulus, a pair of disks smallerthan said annulu and disposed in spaced relation concentrically therewith, each of said disks having a central opening and a plurality elf-perforations adjacent its periphery, and a plurality of wheel spokes comprising flat elongated elements, secured at one end to the rim, the said spokes overlapping the edges of the disks at their other ends and having perforations, to register with the; peripheral perferations of the disks, and means passing through the perforationsin the. spoke members and disks to secure the par s together, whereby the disks form the wheel, hub.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of March, 1926.

ALFRED C, ILBERT. 

